It wasn’t apparent to me that media was so involved in my life until I forced myself to go without. This proved to be incredibly difficult. Television has become exceedingly dominant in the day to day routine that it’s almost something that is disregarded until it’s not there. I often spend time alone at home, it gets quiet so the television is kept on for background noise. Admittedly, even sleeping without the television is a struggle for me, it’s become a habit in bed time routine to tone and set the sleep timer.
I began my 72 hours on Tuesday because it has two full classes that start from 3:05 – 10:20, I figured it would be an easier day to avoid watching television. The hours leading to class always drags on, I often watch my routine shows that come on starting at 12 ending at 2 but I attempted to occupy myself with homework instead. Once the homework was finished I couldn’t help myself and ended up watching my shows until school. At bed time I watched Netflix with my boyfriend and then we turned the television off and I fell asleep after about an hour.
Wednesdays are difficult, there is only one class lasting an hour. I found myself watching television unconsciously. When waking up in the morning it seems like turning the television on is the first thing I do. I wake up alone due to the fact that my boyfriend is off to work and I find the quiet unsettling, I feel like this is why the television comes on when it does. Coincidentally, I don’t find myself watching it when it’s on, previously stated I have it as a background sound. I’m not entirely sure why I can’t substitute television with music, music often distracts me from what I’m doing. I find myself listening to the words in the music unlike in television with the voices that become white noise.
Thursday wasn’t any different, unknowingly turning on the television as soon as I wake and starting the homework projects I needed to do. Thursday has only one class at 3:05, leaving almost all of the...